Tell us about yourself.

I grew up in California and moved to Texas at age 14 and then moved again to South Carolina. When I graduated from high school, I wanted to be a criminologist and get as much experience as I could. However, I discovered that I had to be at least 21 to be a criminologist. I wanted to get solid hands-on experience in the field, so I joined the Army at age 18 and served for five years in Germany and Fort Carson, CO.

I knew that as soon as I got out of the Army, I would go back to school to pursue my degree. I returned to civilian life in the fall of 2009. I am married now and have a six-month-old daughter. I live in Algonquin, IL, and attend National Louis University’s Chicago campus once per week.

More than 22 million troops have served in the U.S. military, and as a result many carry very painful physical and emotional scars, including post-traumatic stress (PTS). According to researchers, including Norman Rosenthal, M.D., psychiatrist and medical researcher at Georgetown University Medical School and author of The New York Times bestseller, “Transcendence,” the practice of transcendental meditation (TM) has become an evidence-based mental technique for veterans who are looking to reduce their stress after returning from military life.

Recently we talked with Emily Garrity, co-founder and president of ConnectVETS. She shared helpful information about ConnectVETS, as well as resources available to help veterans as they transition from military to civilian life.

Tell us about ConnectVETS.

Chicago-based ConnectVETS is a national leader in providing online job search education and career transition resources for transitioning service members and veterans to facilitate military talent acquisition. The organization focuses on building the bridge between military veterans and employers. ConnectVETS was founded in 2007 to support the men and women who have served our country by connecting veterans with private sector employment opportunities. ConnectVETS is also active in the Illinois Joining Forces Initiative, where I serve as the employer engagement sub-committee chair in the employment and training working group.

Knowing your audience is arguably one of the most important elements in any successful transaction — asking someone out on a date, negotiating a merger or acquisition in the board room, requesting a raise at work and, of course, determining how to approach a potential employer.

Military veterans have many transitions to make, including pursuing a college degree, when they return from active duty. Following a sound budgeting process can help to make the financial transition smoother, as well as identifying a military-friendly college or university. Below are some important steps to keep in mind for veterans returning to school.

Recently we spoke with Cynthia Rathunde, manager of veterans initiatives and special projects at the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) and asked her for tips to help student veterans complete their college degrees and pursue meaningful employment.

Rathunde is an eight-year Air Force veteran who used her GI Bill benefits to earn her associate’s and bachelor’s degrees. Most recently, she worked at a higher education institution for six years as the veterans services coordinator, where she focused on veterans benefits, payment issues and streamlining the process for veterans.

Last month the Student Veterans of America held their annual national conference in Scottsdale, AZ. A group of SVA of National Louis University members attended the conference. In the post below, Trevor Barr, a student veteran at NLU, shares his most memorable “takeaways” from the event and how he and his peers are going to act upon key conference learnings to support the veteran community. …

Recently we talked with James Mukoyama, U.S. Army Major General (Retired, 1964-1995) and President of Military Outreach USA, who says that there are an estimated 400,000 veterans who will be returning to civilian life in the coming years, and we need more military-friendly institutions like National Louis University to reach them.

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If you’re a military veteran thinking about starting or returning to college, you likely have many questions –- and might not know where to begin. National Louis University’s Veterans Program has made this step a bit easier for you by sharing a list of many frequently asked questions we receive from student veterans. This is the first of a few FAQ posts, so stay tuned for more!